Push-cart protector.



.PATENTED FEB. 24, 1903.

I. w. HEATH. PUSH CART PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. HEATH, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO LEVI RILEY, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

PUSH-CART PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,301, dated February 24, 1903.

V inclination filed August 15, 1902. Serial No. 119,820. (No model.)

To all whom, itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN W. HEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Push-Cart Protector, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are to provide a push-cart of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction to which is attached a barrel, saidbarrel being rotatably mounted on the frame of the push-cart, and, further, to provide a protector for the push-cart which can be easily and readily attached to or detached from it at the pleasure of the operator.

A further object is to provide a protector for street-cleaning push-carts which will prevent Water from getting into the barrel attached to the push-cart.

A further object is to provide a barrel in the push-cart which can be easily detached from it or attached to it at the pleasure of the operator.

A further object is to provide means for tilting the barrel, so that the operator can easily throw waste substances into it.

A further object is to provide an opening in the front of the protector largeenough to give ready access to the interior when the operator is shoveling waste substances from'the street and desires to throw them into the barrel.

A further object is to provide braces for holding the sides of the protector firmly in position relative to the-frame of the push-cart, so that it will not easily lose its shape.

A further object is to provide a handle for drawing or pushing the cart.

A further object is to provide a door for the rear end of the cart-protector which canbe swung rearwardly from the cart and allow the operator to have easy access to the barrel on the interior of the protector.

A further object is to provide means for inverting the barrel and allowing the contents to fall out readily.

A further object is to provide a protector which will conceal the waste-barrel, and thus make the movement of the push-cart around the city streets less objectionable than is common where the barrel is exposed to View.

. A further object is to provide wheels and an axle between these wheels for supporting the entire mechanism.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in 'which- Figurel is a front elevation of the complete device with the front board of the protector removed and the handle for drawing or pushing the cart taken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with one of the sides removed and a portion of the supporting mechanism broken away and also one of the wheels removed. Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the complete device with the roof of the protector removed, and Fig. 4. shows in perspective the complete device with the door at the rear opened.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate the axle of-the frame of my push-cart, having the wheels 11 mounted on them. These axles are connected by the curved metal arm 12 at their inner end portions. This arm is semicircular in shape and extends from the inner end of the axle on which one of the wheels is mounted forwardly and then rearwardly to the inner end of the axle on which the other wheel is mounted, this curved piece answering the same purpose as a straight axle would connecting the inner sides of the wheels. To this curved metal arm I have firmly attached the handle 13 for drawing or pushing the cart from place to place. Firmly attached to the curved metal arm 12 I have mounted the supporting-upright 14., said upnotch designed to support the pin which is uprights 14:, which uprights are attached to the curved metal piece 12 and above the axle 10, said uprights having a circular notch at their upper portion, so arranged that the barrel can be swung on them on account of the pins being attached to the barrel and rest upon these uprights.

Attached to the bottom of the barrel and at the front portion thereof is a chain 17, said chain extending from the point of attachment rearwardly and is supported by a hook on the door of the protector for the push-cart, which will be explained more fully hereinafter. This chain 17 is designed to be used by the operator when he desires to invert the barrel and allow the waste material which is in the interior to drop out, and by reason of the place to which it is attached at the bottom of the barrel this barrel can be easily inverted. It is also desirable at times to have the barrel at a slight angle relative to the front portion of the frame, so that a person desiring to throw waste material into the barrel from in front of the push-cart can do so easily on account of it being tilted slightly. The barrel can be held in this position on account of the way that the chain is attached to it and to the rear of the protector.

Firmly fixed above the curved metal piece 12 and extending at right angles to the axles and above them I have provided the supporting-pieces 18, said supporting-pieces being slightly longer than the diameter of one of the wheels. This supporting-piece is so arranged on the axle that it will be substantially parallel with the ground when the pushcart is in position for moving. These supporting-pieces are also inside of the wheels and outside of the barrel. I have provided a protector for the push-cart having two side pieces 19 and 20, the front portion 21 and the rear portion 22, said side portions and front portion being firmly attached together and supported to the frame of the push-cart by means of the braces 23, said braces being firmly attached at each end of the supporting-pieces 18, there being four of these braces 23, two at the rear end of the protector and two at the forward end of the protector. These braces are firmly fixed at their central portion to the ends of the supporting-pieces 18, and as two of them are at the rear of the wheels and two of them are in front of the wheels of the push-cart, so that they will not conflict with the wheels, and as they are attached at their central portion they curve outwardly from their central portion and upwardly and also downwardly and outwardly, so that they can be attached to the interior of the sides 19 and 20. These braces 23 also have projections 24 thereon, said projections being firmly attached to the roof 25 of my protector. This roof is of substantially the same length as the sides 19 and 20 and has an upright piece 26 between the top portions, to which the sides 27 and 28 of the roof are attached. These side portions 27 and 28 of the roof 25 extend a slight distance over the sides 19 and 20 and extend upwardly and inwardly from the sides 19 and 20, so that they approach each other and rest against the upright 26, which is firmly fixed between them by means of the iron braces 29. This roof is made to extend upwardly and inwardly, so that there is an opening 30 between the sides 27 and 28 and the front portion 21. Through this opening the one using the push-cart can easily throw the refuse matter into the barrel contained within the protector. The front portion 21 has a vertical slot at its central portion, and said slot extends downwardly to the lower edge of the box. This slot is designed to receive the handle 13 and allow it to extend forwardly from the front portion of the box and also allow the handle 13 to act as a support for the protector.

Between the sides of the box and at their upper rear portion I have firmly fixed the rod 31, said rod acting as a brace and also as a support for the rear portion or door 22 when it is in its closed position. The door 22 is hinged to the side 20 and has two hooks 32 on its inner upper portion, said hooks being designed to fit over the rod 31 and support the door 22 when closed. This door 22 hasa hook 33 on its outer portion designed to hook into the eye 34 when the door is closed and hold the door in its closed position firmly.

The door 22 has also a hook 35 on its interior portion and near its central portion designed to hold in place the chain 17, and on account of the amount of draft upon the interior of the door because of the chain and the barrel it is very essential to have the door 22 supported at its upper portion by means of the hook 32. The door 22 is swung outwardly on its hinges when it is desired to drop the contents out of the barrel or remove the barrel from the frame for any purpose. The protector to the push-cart can be easily removed from the cart by taking out a few bolts, if desired to take it away.

In practical use the operator of the device has the protector attached to the push-cart and the door 22 closed against the sides and adjusts the chain so that it will be tilted into the desired position, and he can easily shovel the waste material through the opening 30 into the barrel 15, which is attached to the push-cart. He can easily move the cart from place to place. When it is desired to remove the barrel or invert it, he can do so by unhooking the chain 17 and raising the barrel and taking it out after having opened the door 22. If it is desired to invert the barrel, he simply grasps the chain 17 and pulls rearwardly on the'chain, and by using this the barrel will be much more easily inverted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is*

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of an axle, wheels rotatably mounted on said axle, an upright firmly fixed to said axle, a barrel rotatably and detachably supported on said upright, a handle attached to said axle, supporting-pieces attached to said axle and extending at right angles to it, said supporting-pieces being outside of the barrel and inside of the wheels, a metal brace attached at each end of said supporting-piece, protector sides attached firmly to said metal braces, a front portion in the protector having a vertical slot therein for receiving the handle, said front portion being firmly attached between the sides, a door hinged to one of the sides and at'the rear portion thereof, metal hooks firmly attached to,

the top of the inside of said door, a rod firmly fixed between the sides of the protector and near their upper rear portion designed to supably supported on said upright, a handle attached to said axle, supporting-pieces attached to said axle and extending at right angles to it, said supporting-piece. being outside of the barrel and inside of the wheels, a

metal brace attached at each end of said supporting-piece, protector sides attached firmly to said metal braces, a front portionin the protector having a vertical slot therein for receiving the handle, said front portion being firmly attached between the sides, a door hinged to one of the sides and at the rear portion thereof, metal hooks firmly attached to the top of the inside of said door, a rod firmly fixed between the sides of the protector and near their upper rear portions designed to support said hooks when the door is in its closed position, means attached to the inside'of the door and to the barrel for holding the barrel in a tilted position, a roof attached to said sides, having side portions therein, saidside portions extending upwardly and inwardly to leave an opening between the portion of said roof and the upper edge of the front portion of the protector, said side portions of said roof extending upwardly and inwardly from the sides of the protector, and an upright piece firmly attached between the sides of the roof, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

JOHN W. HEATH.

Witnesses:

LEVI RILEY, W. R. LANE. 

